Ender's Game is on track

TG Daily Staff, 31st January 2012

Casting for the the long-awaited Ender's Game sci-fi film seems like it is finally drawing to a close.

After months of speculation, Deadline confirms that Ben Kingsley and Brandon Soo Hoo have joined the cast of Ender's Game, which already includes Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Stanfield and Abigail Breslin.

Kingsley has been tapped to play legendary war hero Mazer Rackham, while Soo Hoo will take on the role of Fly Molo.

Ender's Game is based on the classic science fiction novel penned by Orson Scott Card. The book itself actually started off as a short story published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Card later expanded the franchise with additional characters, plot lines, books and graphic novels, which culminated in an updated version of Ender's Game hitting store shelves in 1991.

Ender's Game is set in a dystopian future where Earth has barely survived two encounters with the Formics, an insectoid alien species dubbed the "Buggers." Card depicts the aliens as exhibiting ant-like group behavior, as they are quite protective of their leader, much like ants shielding their queen on Earth.

To prepare for an expected third invasion, an international fleet runs a military academy - the Battle School - to train future officers. The world's most talented children, including protagonist Ender Wiggin, are recruited at a young age to learn the art of war in the context of increasingly difficult games.

Ender's Game is reportedly considered suggested reading material for a number of military organizations, including the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The book won the 1985 Nebula Award for best novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for best novel. Sequels and spinoffs include Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind, Ender in Exile, A War of Gift and Ender's Shadow.